In Budapest, there is a dispute over a presidential pardon granted to a man who helped cover up sexual abuse at a children’s home. This controversy may bring harm to the ruling party’s core appeal, which is based on family and Christian values in Hungary, headed by Viktor Orban.
The scandal led to the downfall of two key political allies of Orban – the president and the former justice minister – within a week. While it poses no immediate threat to his leadership, it may impact the European parliament elections in June, where his party is hoping to benefit from the growing support for far-right groups across Europe.
Roger Hilton, a research fellow at GLOBSEC, stated that the scandal reveals the ideological facade of Orban’s family values and conservative principles. However, he added that Orban should be able to recover from the current setback.
Despite attempts by Orban’s party Fidesz to regain control of the narrative, the media and opposition continue to investigate the motives behind the presidential pardon granted in April 2023. Orban himself has not commented on the matter and is due to deliver his state of the nation speech on Saturday.
In an effort to minimize the political fallout, Orban submitted a constitutional amendment to parliament last week that would prevent the president from pardoning crimes committed against children. This move was perceived as a direct message to President Katalin Novak, who resigned two days later.
Orban has positioned himself as a defender of Christian values against Western liberalism, particularly in issues related to LGBTQ rights. The revelation of the pardon has resulted in public outcry and calls for a protest from online influencers, including popular singer Azahriah.
Additionally, Peter Magyar, the former husband of Judit Varga who resigned as an Fidesz MP, has made controversial comments about the inner workings of the government, adding to the complexity of the situation for Orban.
Amidst the controversy, Orban’s press chief Bertalan Havasi stated that the government continues its work as usual, disregarding the attempts to tarnish it.
Overall, the scandal remains a lasting issue with the potential to resurface during the search for a new president in Hungary. Despite this, it is uncertain how it will impact Orban’s leadership in the long term.
(Writing by Krisztina Than; Editing by Ros Russell)
